A VEHICLE SEAT LOCKING SYSTEM

Abstract: A vehicle seat locking and adjustment system comprising a tiltable locating member (31) being pivotally anchored in fastening means (11, 14) and interacting with apertures (7) provided in the walls (12, 25) of the seat rails (1, 4). The fastening means are integrally provided as protrusion (14) or groove (11) in the first rail (1).

Description: A vehicle seat locking system The present invention relates to a vehicle seat locking and adjustment system typically applied on the front seats of personal vehicles. A number of different seat locking and adjustment systems are presently known and applied in vehicles. However, all the presently known systems are characterized by a high degree of complexity (many components) and application of several different materials, something resulting in heavy and expensive systems due to a laborious manufacturing and assembling process. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simplified and light weight seat locking/adjustment system avoiding the above drawbacks. This and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by provision of a seat locking and adjustment system as defined by the accompanying patent claims 1-7. Other objects, specific features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed descrip¬ tion of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1-6, where Fig. 1 is a perspective schematical side view of a system embloyable in the present invention, Fig. 2 shows schematically in an end view the locking means of the system, Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating the fastening principle of the pivotally anchored locking means shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an alternative way of anchoring the locking means. Fig. 5 shows schematically in a perspective side view another embodiment of the locking system, and where Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the locking means from Fig. 5. Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, the vehicle locking/adjustment system comprises a first rail 1 customarily fastened to the vehicle floor (not shown in the Figure) and a slideably attached second rail 2 provided with aperture (fasten¬ ing means) 22 for a seat and safety belt attachment. An integral coextruded flange for end stop 21 extends perpendicularly along a predetermined longituinal extension of the second rail and defines the travel range of the second rail abutting a tiltable locating member 31. A number of complementary shaped apertures 7 is provided in the adjacent walls 12 and 25 of the first and second rail, respec¬ tively, designed to engage the tiltable locating member 31. The tiltable member itself is anchored by grasping around a protru¬ sion 14 being integrally provided (extruded) in the wall 12 of the first rail 1. Fig. 2 shows schematically in more details in an end view the interlocking principle between the rails 1 and 2 from Fig. 1. The tiltable locating member 31 shown in a "locked" and "free" (as depicted by the hatched line) position is held in position by means of a conventional cable guided (controlled) spring 33 being part of the stationary locking means 32 attached to the first rail 1. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment the tiltable locating member 31 is extruded with a groove 35 providing accomodation and attachment of the guiding cable 5. Fig. 3 illustrates in an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view the fastening principle for the pivotal movement/anchoring of the locating member 31 into a protrusion 14 integrally provided in the first rail 1. Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative fastening principle for the pivotal movement/anchoring of the locating member 31 into a groove 11 integrally provided in the first rail 1, Another employable embodiment of the locking system is shown in Fig. 5. The rails 1,2 are interlocked by means of a tiltable locating member 31 being pivotally attached to the first rail 1 by anchoring into a slot or groove 11. A leaf spring 4 is in this case employed instead of the cable guided spiral spring in Fig. 2. As can be seen from Fig. 6, illustrating in more details the leaf spring arrangement 4 shown in a cross-sectional vertical view, the tiltable locking member 31 has a coextruded longitudinal groove 35 that holds the spring in position. As it appears from the above description of employable embodi¬ ments of the present invention, the new locking system, based on guiding function and fastening means being integrated in a special and inventive design of the seat rail components, offers a simplified construction eliminating the need of special/indi¬ vidual stop brackets etc., thus reducing a number of system components. Furthermore, in a particularly advantageous embodi¬ ment of the locking/adjustment system all components are provided as extrusions made of aluminium or Al-alloys. This solution offers a possibility inherent in the applied extrusion technique to "tailor" an integral design of the rails with all details resulting in a weight reduction of the system. The above discussion has been related to the specific embodiments of the system as illustrated by the accompanying Figures. It is, however, contemplated that the present invention is equally applicable to other configurations and embodiments, and various changes and modifications may be made to the specifically described and illustrated arrangements without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims: Claims 1. A vehicle seat locking/adjustment system comprising a first rail (1) and a second rail (2) slideably attached to the first rail (1) and a means for mutual interlocking of the rails (1,2), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the interlocking means comprises a tiltable locating member (31) being pivotally anchored in fastening means (11) extending longitudinally along the first rail and interacting perpendicularly with complementary shaped apertures (7) provided in the adjacent walls (12,25) of the rails (1,2) over their longitudinal extension and where the fastening means (11,14) is an integrated part of the rail (1) . 2. The system according to claim 1 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the second rail (2) is further provided with an integral stop flange (21) defining the travel range of the rail and the attached vehicle seat. 3. The system according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the fastening means (14) is provided as an integral groove in the rail (1) . 4. The system according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the fastening means (11) is provided as an integral protrusion in the rail (1) . 5. The system according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the locating member (31) is integrally provided with a groove (35) for cable attachment. 6. The system according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the locating member (31) is integrally provided with a groove/flange (35) for a leaf spring (4) . 7. The system according to one or more preceding claims 1-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the rails (1,2) and the interlocking tiltable member (31) are provided as extruded shapes in a light metal.

Inventors: CLAUSEN EDVIN LIST, CLAUSEN, EDVIN, LIST
Applicants: CLAUSEN EDVIN LIST, NORSK HYDRO AS, CLAUSEN, EDVIN, LIST, NORSK HYDRO A.S.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B60N2
IPC codes: B60N2